Podcast Summary: "EU Extra: The Great American Purge"

Podcast: Economic Update with Richard D. Wolff
Host: Richard D. Wolff
Date: December 12, 2018

Overview

In this exclusive episode for Patreon supporters, Richard D. Wolff explores the systematic erasure of leftist thought and organization from American culture and its impact on economic and political life. Centering on the consequences of this "purge," Wolff analyzes how the absence of a robust left presence allowed economic inequality to grow unchecked and left Americans with limited avenues for systemic criticism or change, particularly in the wake of crises like the 2008 financial crash.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Destruction of the American Left (00:20–03:00)

• Wolff opens by reflecting on how, after World War II, the American left—unions, critics of capitalism, and alternative economic thinkers—was all but erased from public discourse and institutions.
• This process involved demonizing criticism of capitalism as equivalent to “communism, socialism, evil, bad, to be avoided.”
• He argues that this purge hushed critical thinking, allowing capitalism's “worst features” (such as growing inequality) to flourish with little challenge.

“You created this kind of feeling in America that criticism of capitalism was sort of like communism, socialism, evil, bad, to be avoided, to be paid no attention to, to be kept away.”
— Richard D. Wolff (00:56)

Consequences of the Purge: No Voice, No Pressure (03:00–05:20)

• Over decades, it became taboo—and often risky for careers in academia or labor—to critique capitalism openly.
• By the time the 2008 economic crash hit, key institutions that could have represented or organized people—left parties, unions—had “become shadows of themselves.”
• Politicians (Bush, Obama, Trump) faced no pressure to enact policies benefiting the masses; instead, they relied on “photo ops, a lot of promises, but very little delivery.”
• The lack of a critical left presence ensured there was no organized push for reforms comparable to those of the 1930s.

“There was no pressure on these politicians... to do anything for the mass of people other than lots of press opportunity, a lot of photo ops, a lot of promises, but very little delivery.”
— Richard D. Wolff (03:57)

The Aftermath of 2008 and the Rise of the Right (05:20–08:10)

• Wolff notes that, despite the public sensing a “raw deal” post-2008, there was a vacuum of solutions from the left due to its intentional erasure.
• People, especially the agitated working class, have turned rightward because “the right wing...was allowed to flourish,” with no left alternatives visible or available.
• The episode points to global examples: Brexit in Britain, Trump in America, and shifts in Italian politics as evidence of this phenomenon.
• Wolff describes this as the “whirlwind of repressing a critical basic part of our culture... which welcomes criticism.”

“We are reaping the whirlwind of repressing a critical basic part of our culture, of our identity, and of a healthy society which welcomes criticism.”
— Richard D. Wolff (07:44)

Notable Moment (07:07–07:44)

• Wolff incisively summarizes the tragedy of the situation:

“If you don't [welcome criticism], you think you're succeeding. You're not. You're plunging the society you claim to love into a process of decline and decay. And the American people know it. They just don't know quite where and how to go with it.”

The Path Forward: Rebuilding What Was Lost (08:10–09:20)

• Wolff concludes with a call to action: The nation “needs to recover and rebuild what was purged and destroyed after World War II.”
• Only by restoring critical voices and organizations can the U.S. chart “a way out of our declining capitalism.”

“The country needs it, a way out of our declining capitalism in the United States needs it, and a healthy society cannot do without it.”
— Richard D. Wolff (09:06)

Memorable Quotes & Timestamps

• On the cultural purge:
  “You created the kind of feeling in America that criticism of capitalism was sort of like communism, socialism, evil, bad, to be avoided, to be paid no attention to, to be kept away.” (00:56)
• On the lack of leadership post-2008:
  “There was no pressure on these politicians... to do anything for the mass of people other than lots of press opportunity, a lot of photo ops, a lot of promises, but very little delivery.” (03:57)
• On reaping what was sown:
  “We are reaping the whirlwind of repressing a critical basic part of our culture, of our identity, and of a healthy society which welcomes criticism.” (07:44)
• On the way out:
  “The country needs it, a way out of our declining capitalism in the United States needs it, and a healthy society cannot do without it.” (09:06)

Important Segments with Timestamps

• The cultural purge of the left: 00:20–03:00
• Impact on postwar labor and politics: 03:00–05:20
• No left alternative after 2008 crash: 05:20–06:30
• Rise of the right and global trends: 06:30–08:10
• Call to rebuild a critical left: 08:10–09:20

Tone and Style

Richard D. Wolff speaks passionately, blending historical analysis with sharp critiques and urgent warnings. He employs a conversational, accessible style with rhetorical flourishes, underscoring how the political and cultural purge of the left has shaped American society and its crises.

Summary

Richard D. Wolff’s episode draws an unbroken thread from the repression of leftist thought post-WWII to the current era of economic inequality and disillusionment. He offers an urgent plea for the revival of American left organizations and critical voices, framing them as essential for both economic justice and healthy democratic culture.

Listeners come away with a clearer sense of why systemic criticism is crucial—and what happens when it is deliberately silenced.